More months of misery as major roadworks overlap

Last week, the Newbury Weekly News revealed how eight months of road chaos could be on the cards for Newbury town centre, due to major roadworks on the A339 rail bridge.
Work will start next month to upgrade the bridge over the railway in Newbury town centre, with narrow lanes introduced on the town’s busiest road.
The main construction will begin on Monday, March 4, and could last through the spring and summer until autumn.
It has since transpired that at the same time, there is eight days of works set to start on Newbury’s second busiest route, the A4 London Road, between the junctions with Fir Tree Lane and Hambridge Road, starting from March 25.
On completion, work will then begin on Hambridge Road between the junction with London Road and close to the junction with Hambridge Lane, which is expected to take 15 working days.
Finally, Fir Tree Lane, between the junctions of Turnpike Road and London Road, will be controlled by two-way traffic lights while the work is completed.
All work is scheduled to finish by April 30.
The news of further roadworks in the area follows announcements that construction to a roundabout at the junction of Hambridge Road and Hambridge Lane, already overrun by four months, are not set to be completed until the end of March.
Shadow Portfolio holder for highways and transport (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said the roadworks could be detrimental to the town.
He said: “I don’t think this is going to be healthy for the local economy, the roads are going to be very easily gridlocked.
“We have had Turnpike Road closed, the extension to the completion of the roundabout at Hambridge Road and now with these other roadworks coming in... We need better co-ordination to space them out more.”
On top of all this, Network Rail will also be reconstructing bridges and footbridges at at Frouds Lane, Aldermaston and Padworth Lane, Padworth.
Network Rail spokeswoman Sam Kelly said: “To create the extra headroom needed to accommodate overhead power lines, many structures including bridges and footbridges are being reconstructed along the Great Western main line.
“Electrification of the Great Western main line will pave the way for new trains and a more reliable railway which supports and encourages economic growth across the region.”
Dates are being finalised as discussions are ongoing with West Berkshire Council.